Quote:
Hamas' military wing backed out of a truce Friday after an Israeli artillery strike against suspected rocket-launching sites in Gaza hit a family beach picnic, killing seven people, including three children.
ADVERTISEMENT
"The earthquake in the Zionist towns will start again," said a leaflet distributed at a Hamas rally Friday night. "The resistance groups ... will choose the proper place and time for the tough, strong and unique response."
Israel and the Palestinians declared the truce in February 2005. Hamas, which has killed scores of Israelis in suicide bombings, has largely abided by the cease-fire.
Friday's attack fueled anger spawned by a fatal Israeli airstrike Thursday on a top militant commander in the Hamas-led government. Tens of thousands of people, including angry militants defiantly shooting in the air, packed a southern Gaza soccer stadium for the man's funeral.
In the West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned what he called a "bloody massacre" in Gaza and called on the international community, including the United States, Europe and the U.N. Security Council, to intervene.
Abbas, a moderate who leads Fatah, is eager to restart long-stalled peace talks with Israel, and was expected Saturday to formally announce a July 31 date for a national referendum on establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh sent a letter to Abbas on Friday urging him not to hold the vote and to continue negotiations over the plan. He said the referendum would divide the Palestinian people and instead proposed forming a national unity government with Fatah.
"The idea of the referendum now on the table carries many dangers," Haniyeh wrote. "I'm afraid it will cause a historic rift that will hurt the Palestinian cause for decades to come."
Public opinion polls show the two-state proposal enjoys widespread support.
The Israeli army said it attacked northern Gaza Strip areas that Palestinian militants use to fire homemade rockets at Israel. But one artillery strike appeared to go dramatically off course.
The shells struck a crowd at a beachside picnic, killing seven and wounding more than 30, Palestinian Health Minister Bassem Naim said. A woman and two children younger than 2 were among the dead, medical officials said. All the dead were believed to be related.
The barrage destroyed a tent and scattered body parts along the beach. A panicked crowd screamed and ran around in confusion as paramedics carried the bodies away.
|
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060609/...NlYwMlJVRPUCUl
I saw the pictures of this on the news tonight and couldn't help but cry. You had this little girl running on the beach screaming for her mum and dad, a baby's carry cot all battered and stained and all these little children being rushed to hospital bleeding. Its so awful and from what the pundits are saying, could really mess up an already fragile peace.
I really don't know where this situation can go because despite fighting for years, nothing really changes.
